1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a headgear holder which holds a headgear, such as a baseball cap, so that a sewing machine forms stitches on the headgear held by the headgear holder.
2. Related Art Statement
There is known a multiple-needle embroidering machine which forms embroidery stitches with a plurality of color-different embroidery threads. One or more work sheets, such as cloth or leather, are held by an embroidery frame attached to a movable frame. While the movable frame is moved in an X direction and a Y direction (parallel to a sewing arm of the machine), independently of each other, the embroidering machine forms an embroidery on the work sheet or sheets.
There is also known a headgear holding device which holds a headgear. While the headgear holding device is moved by an X-direction feeding device and a Y-direction feeding device of an embroidering machine to each of which the holding device is operatively connected, the embroidering machine forms an embroidery on a frontal portion of the headgear.
The above headgear holding device includes a headgear-holder moving device and a headgear holder which holds a headgear and which is detachably attached to the moving device while holding the headgear. The moving device includes a base structure which is movable in a Y direction, and a rotatable structure which is supported by the base structure such that the rotatable structure is rotatable relative to the base structure about an axis line parallel to the Y direction. However, the base structure may be omitted. In the latter case, the rotatable structure and the headgear holder may be supported by a base member of an embroidering machine via a guide bar such that the rotatable structure and the headgear holder are movable on the guide bar relative to the base member in the Y direction.
For example, Japanese Patent Application laid open for inspection purposes under Publication No. 6(1994)-257057 discloses a cap holder which includes a main frame member and a pressing frame member. The main frame member includes a curved attachment portion which is adapted to be attached to a rotatable structure as a part of a cap-holder moving device, and a cap support portion which is adapted to support a cap which is held by the cap holder. The pressing frame member is externally and detachably fastened to the main frame member, with the cap being held between the two frame members.
In the above-indicated cap holder, the main and pressing frame members cooperate with each other to hold the outer periphery (i.e., four sides) of a rectangular embroidery area defined in a frontal portion of a cap. This cap holder can be used for holding caps in various sizes (in particular, with various depths), by adjusting the position of one of four holding portions of the pressing and main frame members which presses one of the four sides of the embroidery area which extends parallel to the visor of the cap and is more remote from the visor than the opposite holding portion extending parallel to the visor.
However, the conventional headgear holders each hold only a frontal portion or its peripheral portions of a headgear so that an embroidery may be formed in an embroidery area which is defined in the frontal portion and has a predetermined shape.
There are known various headgear holders having various shapes. However, since a headgear holder holds a headgear so that an embroidery may be formed in a frontal portion of the headgear, the holder includes a main frame member on which an annular portion of the headgear which defines an opening thereof externally fits, and a sweatband or a sweat absorbing member of the headgear which is unfolded and kept outside externally fits. The holder additionally includes a pressing frame member which cooperates with the main frame member to sandwich four sides of an embroidery area of the headgear. One of opposite ends of the pressing frame member is connected via a hinging device to the main frame member such that the former is rotatable relative to the latter, and the other end of the pressing frame member is fastened via a fastening device to the main frame member such that the former is unfastenable from the latter.
In order to form an excellent embroidery on an embroidery area of a headgear, it is needed to have the headgear held by the headgear holder such that the embroidery area of the headgear is sufficiently stretched on the main frame member. With the pressing frame member being unfastened from the main frame member, i.e., with the pressing frame member being rotated and kept away from the main frame member, the headgear externally fits on the main frame member, the pressing frame member externally fits on the main frame member with the headgear being sandwiched between the two frame members, and the fastening device is operated to fasten the pressing frame member to the main frame member.
In the above-indicated prior headgear holder, the pressing frame member has a small dimension in a circumferential direction of the main frame member, since an embroidery is formed on only a frontal portion of a headgear. Accordingly, an operator operates the fastening device while one end portion of the frontal portion of the headgear is held at one side of the pressing frame member and the opposite end portion of the frontal portion is stretched by one hand of his or hers.
Recently, there is a demand to form an embroidery on a right and/or a left temporal portion of a headgear. To this end, a headgear holder is needed which holds a headgear such that an embroidery area of each of a frontal portion and a temporal portion of the headgear is sufficiently stretched and such that a portion of a sweatband or a sweat absorbing member which corresponds to the temporal portion of the headgear is unfolded and kept outside.